Just ranting a lil bit here....... I just get tired of hearing people say that bluegrass has to change to stay alive, hogwash. If you wanna take yer music in another direction to "express" yerself then go for it, yer free to do so but please don't call it bluegrass.

Bluegrass is bluegrass, you can't change the core structure of it no matter what you do. Some of these newer groups are straying away from bluegrass and that does worry me because I don't want people to think that is actually bluegrass because it isn't. Yes you can "refine" the bluegrass sound but you can't change it altogether and still call it bluegrass. Most groups including my favorite LRB will put a song or two on each CD that I wouldn't call bluegrass and that's fine as long as that doesn't become what is known as bluegrass. Besides, that's what the fast forward button is for on the CD player.  

What I mean by refining is this........listen to an old vinyl of Flatt and Scruggs then listen to maybe LRB or IIIrd Tyme Out and see the differences in the tightness of the vocals and the tightness of the instruments as a whole, not to mention that editing and vocal tuning in the studio does wonders nowadays. lol Most anything can be refined without changing the core structure. I'm just saying, don't try to change bluegrass, make yer other kinds of music if ya want but leave my bluegrass pure. Just look at what they did to country music, I'd call it pop music myself.

MEMBERS COMMENTS VIEWING 1 - 3 OUT OF 3 COMMENTS From: Savannah 12/19/2007 14:27:19 wow..that's well said! i totally agree with you. i'm a traditional bluegrass lover . and your right....people shouldn't try to change our heritage sound around here, it's special to us. that's why i always encourage people to listen to flatt and scruggs, others like them. i like the old mountain sound in bluegrass and that's the way it should be considerin' us HILLBILLYS started this fantastic music in the mountains! From: ShelorMania 09/25/2007 21:49:07 That's too funny, doesn't even know who Monroe is? HA  Nickle Creek is a prime example of what I was talking about tho, that aint bluegrass. I could mention a few others but boy would I be steppin on some toes. From: aroy_music 09/25/2007 21:29:40 I couldn't have said it better myself! My brother and I talk (maybe even complain) about this same subject all the time. There's nothin worse than hearing someone claim that they are a huge bluegrass fan, and follow up by sayin Nickle Creek or Yonder Mountain String Band are their favorite bands. The worst example I of this...  I was talking to a mandolin player who's band was about to play on stage 7 at the Walnut Valley Music Festival in Winfield, KS. And to make a long story short, I mentioned Bill Monroe and he said he never heard of him. When I realized that he wasn't joking, I just walked away... a "bluegrass fan" who plays mando and doesn't know Bill Mon? Sadly, he's not the only poser claiming to belong in the bluegrass genre. Anyway, I just wanted to give you props for making a good point, and I'm lookin forward to pickin some real bluegrass with you sometime. Later.